What Rear Links Do on the 4th Gen Toyota Tacoma and Why I Upgraded to 74Weld’s New Set

[Big Dawgs Toyota Tuning]

What’s up guys! Lately I’ve gotten back into heavily modifying my Tacoma after taking a break when I sold my 3GT. Once I started looking at upgrades again, I knew rear upper and lower links were one of those mods that wasn't one of those eye catchers, but they were going to be needed any plans to do serious off-roading.

This is going to be a long one, so let’s jump into it.

First off, what are links, what do they do, and why did Toyota add them to some 4GTs? All solid questions, especially for the average person just starting to look into this stuff online.

What they are: Rear links are metal control arms that connect the rear axle housing to the frame.

What they do: Their job is to keep the rear axle positioned properly as it travels up and down over bumps on the road, or off-roading. The coil springs support the truck’s weight, while the shocks control the movement.

Put in easier terms, they:

• Keep the axle located front-to-back and side-to-side
• Control axle rotation during acceleration and braking
• Allow the suspension to articulate more freely than a leaf-spring setup
• Work together with the coils and shocks, instead of asking the leaf spring to do several jobs at once

Why Toyota added rear links to the new Tacoma: Toyota says the new Tacoma brought in a “coil spring multi-link rear suspension” on most trims to improve ride quality and handling. A few trims still kept leaf springs e.g. SR, SR5 XtraCab, and TRD PreRunner.

So what are the different links, and what does each one do? There are upper links, lower links, and the panhard, some call it the track bar. I’ve got each one pictured in this section.

Upper links:

• These are the shorter arms mounted higher above the axle. Their main role is controlling axle rotation. They do a lot of work during acceleration and braking by helping keep the pinion angle in check and preventing the axle housing from twisting too much.
• For anyone less mechanically inclined: they help keep the axle from “rolling” backward or forward when torque is applied. Since the 2024 Tacoma’s coil-spring setup separates spring support from axle location, the upper links now handle part of the locating job that leaf springs used to do.

Lower links:

• These are the longer arms mounted lower below the axle. Their main job is to keep the axle positioned front-to-back and transfer much of the driving and braking force between the axle and the frame. They also help guide the axle through suspension travel. Because they’re longer and mounted lower, they do a large part of the work in keeping the rear axle tracking correctly as the truck moves.

Panhard/Track bar:

• The panhard keeps the rear axle centered under the truck from left to right as the suspension moves. The upper and lower links mainly handle front-to-back location, and axle rotation, while the panhard takes care of lateral control. Without it, the axle could shift side to side in relation to the frame.

In short:

• Upper links: control axle twist
• Lower links: control front-to-back axle position and transfer force
• Panhard: controls side-to-side axle position

For years, Toyota stuck with a leaf-spring rear setup on Tacomas. In my opinion, that’s been one of the platform’s biggest weak points. I’d say 9 out of 10 3GTs, and probably some of the base model trims going forward will end up with basically “flat” leaf packs once they’re loaded down with gear, towing, add a rooftop tent, and so on. That’s why so many companies started making aftermarket leaf packs, add-a-leaf kits (AAL), hammer hangers, and similar upgrades.

While looking through upgrade options, I already knew links were something I wanted to do for a truck that’s going to see heavy off-road use.

Now, why did I go with 74Weld over everyone else? Have you seen these things? Be forreal bro. Just kidding… sort of.

Here’s why I picked them:

• Materials / Construction: All of the links are precision CNC-machined from 6061 aluminum, then anodized to help resist corrosion. If you’ve never heard of anodizing, it’s actually pretty dope. It’s an electrochemical process that thickens the metal’s natural protective oxide layer. It’s mainly used on aluminum. The process involves submerging the metal in an acid bath and running an electric current through it. Pretty sick.
• Maintenance: Each end of the upper and lower links uses a maintenance-free Rock Krawler Adventure Series joint. That means more angularity and articulation from the suspension, while still keeping the ride quiet. If you’re like me, a squeaky truck drives you insane. Especially a new one, so that matters a lot. The panhard/track bar is maintenance-free also, using a sealed flex joint on both ends.
• Adjustability: I haven’t really seen anyone mention this yet, but 74Weld offers adjustable upper and lower links. They were cool enough to get me one of the first sets they made.
  • Why adjustability matters: With some suspension cycling, the adjustability lets you fine-tune where the rear axle sits after a lift, bigger tires, or extra weight. That can improve ride quality, handling, and off-road flex. I kept mine at OEM length.

I attached some photos below showing the joints and side-by-side comparisons with the stock parts. If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

Upper Links vs OEM

Rock Krawler Adventure Series joint vs OEM

Panhard / Track bar side-by-side with OEM

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[FinallyErik]

$3,000 for a whole set. They are awesome but not that awesome

 

[Big Dawgs Toyota Tuning]

$3,000 for a whole set. They are awesome but not that awesome

You think that until you realize how easily your stock ones get bent on trails. Couple that with maintenance required for other options, and the versatility in the material - it’s easily the better choice.

 

[FinallyErik]

You think that until you realize how easily your stock ones get bent on trails. Couple that with maintenance required for other options, and the versatility in the material - it’s easily the better choice.

6061 Al is versatile in a definitional sense yes, and it’s cost effective, that’s about all. It’s not the strongest alloy, nor is it really any better than the OEM steel frankly. The same rock that would bend steel would likely snap or bend these. Now I see they did some CNCing which looks like it would increase structural rigidity but the fact remains, these are wildly overpriced for what they are. Those Krawler joints can be had for $50 each and a 6’ bar of 2”x2” 6061 Al can be had for $200. So multiply the Al by 4 (generous overestimation) = $800 + $200 (joints) = $1000. And that’s if you’re not buying in bulk.

As far as anodizing is concerned, is it type I II or III? That matters.


So a $2,000 up charge for milling, anodization, and fitting a joint.

Like I said, Awesome but not that awesome.

 

[tkrum015]

Tell us more about your whole suspension setup?

 

[skyking3]

Thank you Big Dawg for your excellent write up. Your pictures also enhanced the explanations and made everything easy to understand. Artec Industries makes the same 5 bars for the 5G 4Runner in aerospace grade 7075 Aluminum which is actually a better fit for our trucks. I do not know if they are compatible with our 4G Tacomas nor do I know if they are planning to make some for our trucks. What I do know is that they make excellent products as I had their LCA skid plates on my 3G Tacoma where the fit and finish were perfect. If I could be sure that the 4Runner bars would work on my 4G Tacoma I would order them today as they are currently on sale for $981 for the set of all 5 bars. The link below is for the whole set. Thanks again for your great write up.

https://artecindustries.com/collect...nner-5g-aluminum-rear-link-kit-with-track-bar

 

[Big Dawgs Toyota Tuning]

Tell us more about your whole suspension setup?

stock suspension on portals. I have a build there here.

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